Reflections of a Wandering Mind

For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. 2 Tim 4:3-4 Have you ever discussed a subject with someone who refuses to listen? Frustrating, huh?  Especially when dialog does not stay on topic or responses to valid points are unrelated.  But more than frustration, I often feel discouraged because truth is ignored for the sake of convenience, resulting in continued separation from God. People are so often swayed by arguments in favor of things that are against God's commandments because they can then live lives that suit their nature without guilt. Even more alarming are people of faith who are swayed into worldly thinking.  There is a recent quote attributed to Pope Francis that boils down to salvation is obtainable without God. In di...

"Lust indulged became habit, and habit unresisted became necessity." ~ St. Augustine "Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience which calls you to be pure...Passing encounters are only a caricature of love; they injure hearts and mock God's plan." ~ Pope John Paul II "More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." ~ Our Lady of Fatima We are shocked by the attitude of our youth in their wanton ways. What do we really expect of them as we admonish their immorality while living with our significant others without the benefit of marriage? I hear that it's just a piece of paper and that they are "married" in heart. That's just a cop out, marriage is putting total faith in someone else to respect, love, support and never give up on you in all things; marriage is REAL commitment. At the very least, if the certificate is just a piece of paper, why are they so afraid of it? Why are we so shocked whe...

"Man cannot live without joy; therefore, when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures." ~St. Thomas Aquinas We take for granted that there is always tomorrow, that we have all the time in the world to set things right, to take care of our health, or to amend broken relationships with friends or loved ones. How often do we hold grudges, so offended, and not worry that maybe tomorrow may be our or their last day. Am I the only one who tells myself day after day that I will start my diet/exercise program tomorrow, but tomorrow never seems to come? Well, we obviously can't live our lives in a perpetual state of fear of death; it's unhealthy. But, we can take the attitude of urgency when it comes to loved ones or our spiritual state in life. We so easily fall into a state of sin and not worry about the consequences because we take our lives for granted, mainly worrying about the everyday things we need to get by....

If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth. ~ Mitsugi Saotome These past two days, I've been thinking about people and relationships. Everybody wants to be needed and loved. Sometimes this desire deep within everyone manifests itself in destructive behavior. Often, people fulfill this longing by continuing relationships that will only serve to make them unhappy. Why do we stick with relationships that are clearly no good? Why do we think we can change anyone who doesn’t even think they have a reason to change? Why do we keep trying, thinking it will get better? Why do we allow ourselves to be disrespected emotionally or physically? The one reason is this: our view of ourselves. If someone dis...